Doris Carter attended Coburg High School, then went to Teachers Training College, where her athletic prowess regularly made the daily papers. At the University Sports, at which time the dress code for women was shirt, dress, and long stockings, she won five events and broke three records. On completing her teaching degree, she was posted to a small school, Melville Forest Primary, near the border of Victoria and South Australia, 386km from Melbourne. Doris would drive this distance, leaving Friday after school to Melbourne, compete on Saturday, and return Sunday.
Doris was a naturally talented athlete, standing 1.73m, and had become a top high jumper, self-coached and using the scissors technique. She had joined the Melbourne Women’s Athletic Club and had finished second in the high jump at the 1930 Australian Women’s Nationals with 1.47m. After two years at Melville Forest, she was transferred to Preston Primary School, which allowed her to compete regularly. Doris won the 1933 National high jump in Melbourne with 1.49m, also finished with a bronze in the 90 yards hurdles, and fourth in both the shot put and discus.
In 1934, despite ranking number three in the world in the high jump, she was not selected for the London British Empire Games as the controlling body, the male-only Amateur Athletic Union of Australia, decided not to send any female competitors. Doris retained her national high jump title in Brisbane in 1935 with 1.53m and took silver in the hurdles and bronze in the discus. She again won the Nationals high jump in Sydney in 1936 with 1.48m, as well as the discus for the first time and was third again in the hurdles. A few weeks later, Doris jumped 1.615m and was selected for the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.
The Australian athletes had never competed on cinders prior to Berlin, and a number of the athletes quickly developed shin splints. Doris was one of them. However, she overcame the pain and cleared 1.55m to finish equal sixth. Two years later, the fourth-placed Dora Ratjen from Germany was discovered to be male and was disqualified. After the Games, Doris remained in England to further study education before returning home to teach, compete, and coach.
At the 1937 women’s Nationals, Doris cleared 1.52m to win the high jump and was second in the discus. She was selected for the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney and there cleared 1.55m, finishing fifth. After those Games, Doris was selected in the Australian women’s hockey team to tour the United Kingdom; however, the Education Department would not grant her leave, and she was forced to withdraw. In 1940, Doris retained her high jump title in Perth for the final time. She was also playing cricket and, in response to the difficult times, joined the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) officer’s training school.
Her outstanding war service and career post-war were recognized with an Order of the British Empire in 1957 and when she co-led the ANZAC Day March in Melbourne in 1996. Doris remained involved in athletics after her competitive career ended. She became President of the Australian Women’s Amateur Athletic Union (AWAAU) after the War in 1948 for a short period before being elected to the role once again in 1952, holding office until 1961. She was manager of the Australian Women’s Team at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. Between 1934-36, Doris was ranked in the top three in the World, and at the end of her competitive career in 1940, she was still ranked 11th globally.
Her personal bests were:
High Jump – 1.615m (1936),
90 yards Hurdles – 12.1 (1940),
Discus – 38.67m (1939).
Paul Jenes OAM
Athletics Australia Statistician
President ATFS
Acknowledgements:
Paul Jenes – Fields of Green, Lanes of Gold, The History of Athletics in Australia;
Larry Writer – Dangerous Games, Australia at the 1936 Nazi Olympics;
Official Report of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games;
Arthur Hodsdon – Results 1938 British Empire Games;
Rob Whittingham, Paul Jenes & Stan Greenberg – Athletics at the Commonwealth Games;
John Blanch & Paul Jenes – Australia’s Complete History at the Commonwealth Games;
Nell Gould – Women’s Athletics in Australia, Official History of the Australian Women’s AAU;
Fletcher McEwen – Australian Historic Rankings;
John Brant, Janusz Wasko & Steponas Misiunas – World Women’s Athletics 100 Best Performers Year Lists 1911-1962;
Trove;
Brian Roe